Primary Science Week – soil resources

Soil – it’s much more than dirt. Soil keeps us alive. Without soil, we would be hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless and breathless. Soils differ from location to location and are a range of colours. Around 25% of everything alive on Earth uses soil as a habitat.

Soil is also where we dig for treasure. Pick up a spade and see what educational treasures exist in the world beneath our feet.

Soil is the theme for Primary Science Week 16–20 May 2016. The Hub has numerous soil resources to complement the national investigation or for use any time during the year.

The students thought ‘dirt’ was pretty boring until their eyes were opened to ‘soil’ and what lies beneath the ground. They were fascinated to discover roots, glass, worms and clay. What made a huge impact on them was how important soil is to us and the world in which we live.

Teacher

Themes

Following is a sample of the Hub’s resources about soil. Use the Related Content links on each page to get the full story.

Teacher support materials

Online professional development

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Video: SLH and agriculture/horticulture

The Hub will offer a webinar before Primary Science Week to explain the concepts and methodology behind the planned national experiment. Check our home page or social media for an announcement closer to the date.

Nature of Science

It is important in science to not only build students’ knowledge and understanding of science but to support them to make connections between science concepts and the world around them. Soil is an ideal context for this as it links to many other aspects of science as well as global and local issues, such as growing food and farming practices.